Under cover of darkness, a man makes clandestine calls from inside a moving car. Dragon is brokering an escape for a group of North Koreans hiding in China who risk deportation if caught. Also a defector, he sees himself more as a human rights activist rescuing fellow North Koreans than a shady broker dealing with human smugglers. But Dragon’s intentions are clear when he states, “There have to be profits for us to work.” Director Ann Shin follows two women from the group with hidden cameras on an arduous journey through China and Laos to Thailand, led by smugglers. Sook-Ja and Yong-Hee are ambivalent about their pursuit for freedom not only because of the constant danger to themselves but also because of the possible retribution for their families. The Defector humanizes the harrowing experience of illegal migrants, who are rendered invisible when forced to travel as commodities across closed borders. Jane Kim